CEOs HAVE THEIR SAY - UWE AHRENDT, CEO NOMOS

CEOs HAVE THEIR SAY - UWE AHRENDT, CEO NOMOS

1. We can only speak for ourselves and not for the watchmaking world as a whole, but contrary to the wider industry trend, Nomos Glashütte posted growth of over 30 percent in 2015. Consequently we can say that No mos made a very strong start to the new year. Over the next three years we aim to double in size again and draw on our strengths to achieve even greater growth on the international markets. We’ll also continue to invest in research and quality. After all, customers value what NOMOS Glashütte stands for: high-tech and traditional craftsmanship, combined with prizewinning design and a commitment to reasonable prices.

2. This year we will again be concentrating our efforts on our US
business — which is increasing turnover and rapidly expanding its retailer network. In fact, the USA
is Nomos Glashütte’s strongest-growing market at present. That said,
we’re also pleased by the growth in our domestic and Asian markets. The Neomatik series, first introduced in
fall 2015, will continue to be important to our brand — it forms the foundation for our increased focus on automatic timepieces. After the huge success of the Neomatik 1st edition, which sold out immediately, we’ll be presenting a successor series at Baselworld. One highlight this year will be the Tetra Neomatik model, a square and decidedly masculine automatic watch. And in the fall, we’ll have even more to unveil. But the overall trend will continue: Nomos Glashütte will be producing this innovative automatic series in larger numbers.

3. We believe that mechanical watches simply offer something different—
our products draw on a long history of craftsmanship,
giving customers an elegant timepiece that underlines their aesthetic and values. For this reason, we certainly do not see smartwatches as a threat to traditional watches. In fact, the increasing interest in smartwatches among the younger generation means they’re thinking more and more about what they wear on their wrists —
something that we are, of course,
delighted about! After a while,
smartwatch wearers will realise that their wristwear keeps becoming obsolete after a few years; by contrast,
with a mechanical watch they have a fine timepiece for life that can always be repaired.

4. For us, Baselworld 2016 is once a gain the place where we’ll be meeting with our retail partners and press contacts to exchange ideas and plans. Nomos Glashütte is in the process of developing and strengthening its international profile — and
for us there’s no better platform to do that than Baselworld.

EUROPA STAR’S FOUR QUESTIONS

1. What are your predictions for 2016? Do you think that exports will recover, or will the markets
stagnate or continue to decline after the slump we saw in 2015? And what do you think were
the reasons for the downturn in 2015?

3. Over the longer term, do you believe that mechanical watchmaking will gradually die out, hybridise, or continue to occupy its own exclusive niche?
Do you see the advent of smartwatches as a potential threat, or an opportunity for growth and
diversification?

4. What exactly do you hope to achieve from your participation in Baselworld 2016? Do you feel
your presence at the fair is essential to your business, or are such forums less important now
than they were in the past?